


Skin and Soul

by Shapeshifter99



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 10:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6851638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shapeshifter99/pseuds/Shapeshifter99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bellamy and Cassiopeia have always been a little bit sensitive about her settled form. A chat with Clarke changes that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skin and Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm obsessed with daemon AUs. 
> 
> Daemons, whose concept originates from the wonderful His Dark Materials series, are physical representations of your soul in animal form. As a child, they can change shape, but eventually 'settle' on one form that suits the person best, originally at puberty (for the sake of the fic I had it happen at the ages of about 16-18).

Bellamy knew what people thought when they saw his daemon. Especially on the Ark, when rules had still been important, seeing a huge, dark wolf walking around was shocking. Cassiopeia’s fur rippled with shades of brown and black and russet, her eyes gleamed like gold coins in the dark and her teeth were sharp and long. To strangers, she was fierce and terrifying and far, far too big for the Ark. After all, no one could see how she let her pink tongue loll out of her mouth to make Gus laugh and curled up against Bellamy’s side when they slept like a giant teddy bear. They had a reputation to upkeep, one that made them unapproachable and unlikeable. 

 

On Earth, it was a slightly different story. Cass was still a tool of intimidation, but one that worked to their advantage. With the 100, a lot of them hadn’t fully settled yet, so to see Bellamy with such a big daemon was an instant way to make most of them follow him obediently. There were exceptions, of course. And those exceptions mattered even less once they realized that fighting wasn’t the best way to get things done on Earth. And thus, Bellamy and Cass ended up being sort of co-leaders with Clarke Griffin and her daemon, Lycos.

 

They’ve been on the ground for nearly half a year by now. The other Arkers, maybe half that. Between the grounders and Mount Weather, it had been a tough time, but they’d come out of it stronger. Sometimes, though, Bell could still see the looks others sent his daemon. Cassiopeia pretended it didn’t bother her, but how could Bellamy not feel the sting of irritation and pain every time one of the Arkers pulled a child closer to them when he passed by?

 

But years of exposure to such behaviour had hardened their hearts, and at least it was slightly better on Earth. The grounders were actually impressed by Cass, and even though they trusted the grounders about as far as they could throw them, it was a nice change to be admired.

 

Arkadia had slowly begun to expand. Kane had ordered the construction of proper log cabins and a few now littered the cleared-out space behind the electric fence. Bellamy had heard Kane and his Brittany dog daemon talking about building some cabins outside, then slowly extend the fence to meet the needs of the population. It was a good idea—most people needed a place of their own. Only a few had their own rooms inside the section of the Ark they were living in.

 

Bellamy was sitting outside the gates one late afternoon, Cassiopeia curled up at his feet as he stared at the gap of land between Arkadia and the forest. Every once in a while, he jotted down notes, and noticed with satisfaction that the rudimentary plan Kane and Dr. Griffin had come up with would probably fit into the space without much problem. He’d taken a copy and was supposed to be hunting, but he and Cass had given up the idea after being in the woods for an hour. Now they were simply sitting outside, pretending to make significant progress on the planning of the new constructions, but they'd mostly just been staring into the dark clusters of trees absently, neither one of them willing to return to judgemental Arkadia. 

 

They really should have been back in ages ago, but Bellamy knew that the guys in the tower were keeping an eye out. Besides, the grounders weren’t much of a problem anymore since Lexa had decided to broker peace with Arkadia after the incident at Mount Weather.

 

Cassiopeia’s tail thumped against the ground and Bell glanced up. He hadn’t even noticed the sound of the gate being opened amongst the general shouts and screeches of metal from behind the electrified fence.

 

“Octavia’s been looking for you,” Clarke said, stepping over a stray branch as she pushed strands of blond hair from her face. Lycos was at her side, tail twitching and characteristically quiet. Cass had once told Bell how she thought it was funny that in this scenario, the daemon was the more reserved of the two.

 

Bellamy shrugged, scooting over so his co-leader (ex-co-leader? They technically weren’t in charge of the hundred anymore) could sit next to him on the log he’d commandeered. “We needed some alone time,” he said gruffly. He didn’t mention how someone’s daemon had twitched away from Cassiopeia when they’d been trying to help their human carry pots for the greenhouse.

 

Clarke nor Lycos said anything about the lie, instead settling down as comfortably as they could. They were silent for a few moments, and although Bellamy kept his eyes on the woods, he could tell that Cass was secretly observing the cougar daemon. A breeze smelling of pine and earth swept through the large clearing, making her nose twitch.

 

“Do you know why Cassiopeia settled as a wolf?” Clarke finally said, abrupt.

 

Bellamy blinked once, twice, and decided that the appropriate response was a smirk. “Presumably because of our deep ferocity and animalistic tendencies,” he said lightly, reaching down to scratch his daemon’s ears. The words were bitter, but they both thought it was true.

 

Lycos’ ears flattened for a brief moment, blue eyes suddenly gazing straight at Cassiopeia, but he calmed so quickly that Bellamy could only wonder if he had actually reacted. At the same time, Clarke began to fiddle with a frayed thread on her shirt, a habit that Bellamy knew meant she was trying hard to get her thoughts in logical order to be said aloud.

 

“What about it?” he added, a little defensively.

 

Her stare was calm and even, unlike the brief show of emotion that had been represented in her daemon. “People can have the same types of daemon but have entirely different personalities, you realize,” she said. Far from the irritation he’d been expecting, her voice was verging on sympathetic, but still slightly clinical. “Just look at Octavia and Augustus.”

 

Although he had felt the first prickles of unease crawl down Cassiopeia’s spine at Clarke’s words, the mention of his sister was enough to draw out a curious, “What do you mean?”

 

Clarke sighed, her head tipping back as if to stare at the sky. “Like... Gus is a swan, right? Swans have... particular connotations. They represent gentleness, grace, love. But they’re also fierce fighters that aggressively defend their nests. Just like Octavia.”

 

Bellamy and Cassiopeia were quiet for a moment. The words had provoked a new feeling in their chests, something that wasn’t quite uncomfortable but strange all the same.

 

“So, why do _you_ think I settled as a wolf?” Cass said, quietly. Her head was on her paws, and the way she looked up at Clarke and Lycos was nothing less than soulful, irises gleaming like twin suns.

 

Lycos’ head tilted to the side. “You guys are protectors. Leaders. Most importantly, you want to keep your family safe.”

 

 _Our family,_ Bellamy bit back, because that would have just been weird to say. But the rest of the words sank in and he felt a tremble of hope from Cassiopeia that left him breathless. A ball of emotion rose up in his throat at the emotion but he cleared his throat instead of succumbing and said roughly, “What about you, then? Why a cougar?”

 

Clarke hesitated, and much like Bellamy had done, passed a hand over her daemon’s head. Lycos shifted closer to her, resting his chin on her lap and curling his tail around his paws.

 

“Leadership,” was the first thing she said, giving Bellamy a quick smile that he couldn’t help but reply to with one of his own. “Like you. Bravery. Protection.” Her hand stopped its soothing motions over Lycos’ head. “Ruthlessness.”

 

Bellamy’s gaze sharpened. He knew exactly what she meant by that, and he wasn’t having any of it. “Hey,” he said, looking Clarke straight in the eye. “If being a wolf doesn’t mean Cass and I are destined for violence, that means Lycos being a cougar doesn’t mean you two are... ruthless, or whatever.”

 

His words were angry, but they made Clarke grin a bit all the same. “Okay,” she conceded after a moment, and Lycos rumbled out a purr, something Bell and Cass had never heard before. Judging by the flare of surprise and pleasure in his daemon, they wanted to hear it again.

 

Feeling a sudden heat rise to his skin-what was _up_ with Cass?-, Bellamy broke eye contact with a cough. Cassiopeia flicked him with her tail, though out of embarrassment or reproach he couldn’t tell.

 

“We forgot to mention something,” Lycos added, breaking Bellamy out of the swirl of emotions he and Cass were suddenly battling. He grinned, a strange expression on a sharp-toothed big cat that was endearing all the same. “Swans are mates for life.”

 

Bellamy and Cassiopeia stared at the daemon, uncomprehending, but realization dawned in a few seconds.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” they groaned in unison, Cass getting to her paws so she could head-butt Lycos in aggravation. Bellamy, similarly, shoved his shoulder against Clarke’s in mock irritation. But despite the 'anger', they were okay with Lincoln now. Even if Cass still sometimes said his daemon was funny-looking.

 

Clarke began to chuckle as her daemon darted away, playfully swiping at Cassiopeia’s ears as he went. Within moments, the two were half-sparring, half-playing, each lunging in to give a quick nip before racing away, the other at their heels. The light-hearted emotions stirred up by their daemons lifted up their spirits as well, and soon enough, even Bellamy wasn’t able to hold back his smile.

 

The sun was starting to set by the time they were called back in by an exasperated Kane, flanked by Clarke’s mother. Dr. Griffin watched them with curious eyes as they slipped back into the compound, her daemon’s gaze sharp and alert. Clarke avoided it studiously, but Bellamy and Cass met it, an intrigue of their own tamping down any shame or irritation.

 

“You two were out there for a long time,” Abby finally said and her daemon’s feathers ruffled slightly.

 

Bellamy pressed his lips together and nodded sharply. “It won’t happen again,” he said, pretending that he didn’t know what the severe doctor was insinuating. The words sounded hollow, even to his ears.

 

“It’d better not,” Kane’s daemon muttered. She was much smaller than Cass, but she and Bellamy had always respected the captain of the guard and sometimes chancellor. From what they’d heard, she could bite.

 

The two adults let them walk by without any further chastisement, but both Clarke and Bellamy were tense until they were out of sight. It was only then that Cassiopeia broke free of her rigid walk and trotted ahead of Bell, Lycos right at her tail. They barely even noticed that the uptight attitude they normally kept when in Arkadia had vanished, as if Clarke's words had lifted a spell they hadn't even known they were under.

 

“Bellamy!”

 

The familiar voice turned both their heads, and Bellamy smiled a little as he saw Miller waving his hand, his hawk daemon flying above in looping circles.

 

“I’m guessing it’s something to do with the guard,” he said aloud, stealing a glance at Clarke.

 

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, a smile playing at her lips. “Well, you go do that. I’ll be in the med bay. Also—” She stopped him with a hand to her arm. “Make sure Miller, Harper, and Monroe don’t go through _all_ of Monty’s moonshine? We still need it as an antiseptic, and I’ve had to treat all three multiple times for hangovers.”

 

Bellamy grinned. “No problem, Princess.” The nickname slipped out before he could stop it, and Cassiopeia tensed, the image of Finn’s daemon disappearing into gold dust flashing in their minds. _Shit._ But Clarke didn’t have any outward reaction other than a slightly too-quick series of blinks and neither did Lycos.

 

She smiled, a little tinge of sadness in her eyes as she turned to go, and before Bellamy could stop himself, he tacked on a, “Hey, wait.”

 

Clarke paused. Turned. Lycos hadn’t moved from Cassiopeia’s side, as if anticipating their actions. Their blue eyes were clear and bright, even in the dimming light of the sun.

 

Bellamy cleared his throat. “Thanks,” he said gruffly, his fingers twining in Cass’ soft fur. “For, you know...”

 

“It’s no problem.”

 

As always, Clarke didn’t even need for him to finish his sentence before guessing correctly.

 

“We needed a break too,” Lycos added, his low voice subdued.

 

Bellamy nodded, realization flooding in. Of course. He and Cass spent all their time worrying about how the other Arkers saw them, but he should have guessed Clarke and Lycos felt the same. After all, Lycos had only settled after they’d come to Earth, and as an animal that was just as fierce as Cass. Once again, someone he’d considered his opposition was more like him than he could have ever imagined.

 

Almost instinctively, Cassiopeia moved forward, fur brushing against Lycos’. Her muzzle nudged gently at his shoulder, a quiet understanding conveyed. _Hey, we get it. It sucks, but we’ve got your back now._

 

For what felt like the fiftieth time that day, Bellamy cleared his throat, realizing he and Clarke had been standing in front of the remains of the Ark for at least a few minutes, in full view of everyone else. Close moments between daemons hadn’t been all that rare back at the drop ship—every spare moment for their humans was spent surviving. The contact between souls had been a way of silently communicating their support. But he and Clarke had never really been like that until they’d reunited after she’d escaped from Mount Weather, and so now was definitely not the time to... act different. Miller, in particular, was watching the exchange with a knowing smirk on his lips.

 

“I’ll see you later,” Bellamy said, his voice sounding strange.

 

Clarke nodded, silent, and Cassiopeia pulled away from Lycos abruptly. Almost immediately, they both felt a loss of warmth and contact that Bellamy instantly shoved away. Now wasn’t the time.

 

But they still felt two pairs of blue eyes lingering on their backs as they went to greet Miller, and they burned on their skin for long after as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Bellamy - Cassiopeia - Grey wolf  
> Clarke - Lycos - Cougar  
> Octavia - Augustus - Mute swan  
> Lincoln - Livingstone's fruit bat  
> Kane - Brittany dog  
> Abby - Long-tailed widowbird  
> Miller - Hawk


End file.
